


Two Floors Below

by beomshell



Category: GOT7
Genre: 2Jae, Alternate Universe, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oneshot, stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:40:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23563204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beomshell/pseuds/beomshell
Summary: Jaebeom leaves his best friend behind at a party to feed a cat.
Relationships: Choi Youngjae/Im Jaebum | JB
Comments: 11
Kudos: 71





	Two Floors Below

**Author's Note:**

> GLITTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR TEASERS YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Youngjae was growing more and more uncomfortable by the minute. He really, really needed help, but was reluctant to contact the one person who was an expert on these kinds of things. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and after much debate he pulls out his phone, hoping he still has the right number. Thankfully he gets an answer right away.

“Jaebeom hyung?” Youngjae could hear some loud music blaring in the background. “Are you out right now?” Of course he was, it was a Friday night, after all. It seems like he’s called Jaebeom at a bad time.

“Yeah I am,” he answers. “I’m stepping outside so I can hear you better.” 

“Ah,” a tiny voice replies.

“Youngjae, what’s wrong?”

“Why do you think something's wrong?”

“Remember what happened last time? You called me when you sprained your ankle on the stairs only because Jackson wasn’t picking up.”

“Hyung… I didn’t know you well back then.”

“I _literally_ live two floors below you, Youngjae! I could’ve helped you within minutes.”

“I didn’t want to trouble you… Anyway, that’s not the point.”

“Jackson didn’t pick up again, right? He’s with me right now if you need him. Somewhere nearby, at least.”

“No hyung… this time I called you first.”

“Oh,” Jaebeom says. “Well I’m honoured.”

“Mm.” 

“So what’s the emergency?”

“Well... I wouldn’t say it’s an emergency, per se,” Youngjae begins, swivelling his chair around to make sure the ‘emergency’ in question was still there. It was, and still staring. “But I do need your help. I don’t know anyone else to ask.” Jaebeom stays silent, letting Youngjae continue. He was worried that Youngjae would change his mind if he interrupted, maybe hit him with a ‘never mind’. Or even worse… ask someone else for help.

“I was working on my assignment, but I felt like I was being watched... so I couldn’t concentrate. So I turned around and saw it? Like just sitting there. I don’t know how long it’s been there or how it even got on my balcony in the first place?”

“Saw what?” Now Jaebeom was more worried than ever.

“There’s a cat on my balcony.”

_Oh._

“But... you live on the fifth floor.”

“I live on the fifth floor!” Youngjae repeats, raising his voice. Jaebeom could tell he was starting to sound a bit frantic. “Like just for that, I have to respect it… you know? It’s staring at me with its big, round eyes and I’m no cat-whisperer but I think it’s telling me it wants food… but I don’t have any. I don’t know how to make it go away either. I don’t want to sleep with my curtains open but if I close them I’m scared it’ll still be there in the morning, you know?”

Jaebeom thinks he knows. 

“Like very _intense_ eye contact, like I know it wants food… I just know it. But the shops aren’t open now.”

“So you’re telling me you would’ve gone out to the grocery store if it was still open... instead of just asking me for some?”

“Yeah?”

Staring off into the distance, Jaebeom couldn't decide whether to put a hand on his hips or use it to pinch the bridge of his nose. He does both, one after the other. “Youngjae, I live two floors below you.”

“I know that, hyung. I’ve been to your floor before.”

Jaebeom hopes Youngjae doesn’t hear the dramatic sigh he let out before he could stop himself. “I’ll be there in about twenty minutes at the earliest.”

“Ah… is it going to be a hassle?”

“I wanna see the cat.” That part was true, after all. “I’ll be there soon, okay?”

“Okay hyung…”

Hanging up, Jaebeom takes his one last breath of fresh air before heading back inside. Thanks to his height, Jaebeom was able to spot Yugyeom amongst the densely packed crowd of intoxicated people in the living room. If he remembered correctly, Yugyeom attended high school with Youngjae and knew him quite well. He’s seen photos of them together on social media.

“Off so soon, hyung? Didn’t you just arrive an hour ago?” 

“I gotta help Youngjae with something,” Jaebeom answers, puffing up his chest in pride as Yugyeom’s mouth gapes in mild shock. 

“Youngjae? Why didn’t he call Jackson?” 

Jaebeom’s chest deflates a bit. “Don’t know. Maybe he wants to keep his ankles this time.”

The tall blonde now has a shit-eating grin plastered all over his face. Jaebeom groans... knowing it could only mean one thing. Yugyeom was amongst Jackson’s growing network of people he’s told about Jaebeom’s crush on the aspiring musician. “It was love at first sight! Jaebeom stopped what he was doing and stared at the door when Youngjae walked into the restaurant!” He could hear it all in Jackson’s voice, along with each and every accompanying shriek and squeal. “Then he almost choked on his pasta when Youngjae sat down with us! And he introduced himself with his mouth half full!” 

Anyway.

“Cab money for the king,” Jaebeom says, putting out his wallet and slapping some notes onto his chest. It wasn’t nearly enough money. “I gotta go.”

++++++++++++++

Jaebeom arrives at Youngjae’s door not long after, proudly holding up a plastic bag, fogged up from the inside. 

“I stole some food for you too. And some drinks.”

“You didn’t have to, Jaebeom. I already had dinner.”

“Eat it tomorrow morning then,” he replies, passing him the plastic bag by the handles. Youngjae holds onto it from the bottom with both of his hands.

“Have you been drinking?” he asks.

“No I haven’t, I had something spilt on me though. I guess changing shirts didn’t help with the smell, but I’ll shower later.”

“I hope you do,” Youngjae says with a joking smile. 

“I’ll be taking that food back, I think. Ungrateful brat.”

“I didn’t ask for food! Not for me, anyway.” 

Ah... Jaebeom had almost forgotten about the real reason why Youngjae invited him over. Ignoring the mild disappointment, Jaebeom fishes out the can of cat food from his pocket. Youngjae scrunches his nose up at the thought of Jaebeom-body-temperature cat food, and Jaebeom mimics him, making a point to exaggerate Youngjae’s repulsed look. 

“Where is it?” 

“Don’t mind the mess. I would’ve spent more time cleaning up if I realised earlier that you’d have to come through my room to see it.”

“Do you have a bowl?” Jaebeom asks. “A small one will do. Wouldn’t it be funny if it wasn’t there anymore?”

“I doubt it. It hasn’t moved in so long.”

The cat was still there, in all its glory. And true to Youngjae’s word, it continued to stare at him. In fact, even with the bowl of food in his hands, it paid absolutely no attention to Jaebeom. Sliding the door open, he gently lays out the food in front of the cat. Doing his best to keep his movements slow so as to not startle it, Jaebeom crouches down. Youngjae quickly closes the door, trapping Jaebeom outside with the cat. Giving Jaebeom a cheeky grin through the glass, he also crouches down to observe as Jaebeom feigns a look of betrayal.

With the door closed, Jaebeom figures he was now somewhat out of earshot. 

“So… you too, huh? You took one look at him and couldn’t get enough.”

“...”

“Youngjae doesn’t know any better, but I know a well-fed cat when I see one,” he whispers sternly. “You’re not starving. Not for food, anyway. If it’s attention you want you’re better off visiting me.”

“...”

“Plus, he’s allergic to cats,” Jaebeom says, turning his attention to Youngjae who now has his fingers pressed up against the glass, watching intently. “So I wouldn’t bother coming back.” 

“...”

“I’m two floors below, the one with the pretty Siamese. Her name is Nora.”

The cat finally turns to acknowledge Jaebeom, blinking at him and leaning in to examine the food offered to it. Taking one final look at Youngjae, it darts off, leaping onto the closest windowsill and onto the next balcony over. Jaebeom, still crouching, looks at Youngjae through the glass. He looks just as bewildered as Jaebeom feels inside, not expecting the cat to just disappear out of nowhere. Lunging forward onto his palms, Jaebeom gets up and lets himself back inside. 

“What did you say for it to leave so suddenly? It didn’t even eat your food...”

“I’ve never met a cat that didn’t like me. I’m upset.”

“Do you think it’ll be okay?”

“It’s fine,” Jaebeom mumbles. 

“You must’ve said something mean to it,” Youngjae probes. “Did you threaten it?”

“I don’t like how relieved you look right now.”

“It was _staring_ at me! With big googoo eyes. How would you like it if I just stared at you like that all evening?”

“Youngjae… you have literally no idea.”

“About what?”

Jaebeom doesn’t answer. Instead, he takes the bag left on Youngjae’s dining table and puts its contents into his fridge. The tension in the air was awkward as Jaebeom slowly closed the door, turning around again. Youngjae clears his throat, fiddling with a loose string on the sleeve of his jumper. A change of topic was definitely in order.

“Jackson made you drive again, didn’t he? Are you going back to pick him up later?”

Folding up the plastic bag in his hands, Jaebeom walks towards Youngjae, making sure to keep a respectable distance from him. “I gave Yugyeom some money to get him a cab. He can find his own way back home.”

“Yugyeom?! You spoke to him?” Youngjae panics. “He didn’t say anything… weird to you, right?”

“No…?” Jaebeom knows he’s said the wrong thing when Youngjae’s look of concern deepens, probably because Jaebeom didn’t sound convincing enough. How could he? When Yugyeom was having a field day of his own, knowing that Jaebeom was on his way to see Youngjae? He’s equally as confused when Youngjae grabs him by the shoulders, turning him to face the door.

“Why are you pushing me out?” Jaebeom wails, leaning back to resist Youngjae's palms against his back. “Yugyeom didn’t say anything, I swear! He just asked me why you didn’t call Jackson first which is what anyone who knows about us would ask.”

“About us?!”

“Yeah? Cos you’re always calling him for things instead of me, even though I live two floors be-”

“Thanks for your help, Jaebeom! Go take a shower! Tell Nora Youngjae from two floors above says hi!”

**Author's Note:**

> nora 🤝 balcony cat (please feel free to ask me any questions!!! i am trapped at home and bored)
> 
> [ or talk to me on twt 😁](https://mobile.twitter.com/bbomdi?s=09)


End file.
